The Katsube Shrine Fire Festival is held annually on the second Sat. of January. They light 12 giant straw torches with young men dancing around. The shrine is near JR Moriyama Station (JR Tokaido/Biwako Line). This is the shrine's main o-torii gate. MAP

Katsube Shrine and giant torches. Six torches were laid within the shrine grounds. I saw the festival twice, in 2006 and 2013.

Katsube Shrine in Moriyama, Shiga Prefecture. The Honden main hall behind the building you see here is an Important Cultural Property.

Poster recruiting torch/taiko drum men aged 13-34 to carry the taiko drums and giant torches on the day of the fire festival.

According to legend, 800 years ago during the Kamakura Period, Emperor Tsuchikado fell ill. A fortune-teller said that it was due to a monster orochi dragon in the marsh in the area of present-day Moriyama.

The emperor sent hunters to kill the dragon which they finally did and burned the body. The emperor then recovered from his illness. When the dragon was burned, the body fell on Katsube Shrine while the head fell on Sumiyoshi Shrine.

Both Katsube Shrine and Sumiyoshi Shrine hold a fire festival on the same day and same time so you cannot see both fire festivals on the same day.

These little pieces of wood symbolize the scales of the orochi dragon.

Photographers stake their place hours before the festival started. The prime viewing spots were already taken by 4 pm.

Six more torches were right outside Katsube Shrine. They will be carried into the shrine one by one to be burned.

A total of 12 giant torches would be lit up for the festival. In the old days, they had more torches, but the number has decreased due to the difficulty of procuring materials.

The torches are made of tree branches, bamboo, and straw from rapeseed hulls. Many people are involved in gathering the materials and making the torches.

Some 400 bundles of rapeseed hulls are used for the 12 torch heads. The torch head smells like tatami mat.

The torches are about 5 meters long and weigh over 400 kg.

Katsube Shrine torii.

Another Katsube Shrine torii.

The taiko men parade around the neighborhood from about 6:15 pm to 7:50 pm. (たいこ わたり 太鼓渡り)

In the foreground are torch stands, partially burnt.

All the Torch and taiko drum bearers (たいまつぐみ 松明組) and helpers (せわかた 世話方) now line up in front of the shrine to receive sacred sake (おみき お神酒) and a good-luck charm (おふだ お札).

They all carry a shushi stick imprinted with "Prayer for family safety and health" (奉納勝部神社 家内安全 かない あんぜん).

The older men wear red loincloths and the younger ones wear white.

The men receive sacred sake and a good-luck charm from a shrine priest. The ceremony is called, Shushi-mairi (しゅうしまいり 牛玉参り).

Rear view of burning torches.

My video of the Katsube Shrine Fire Festival on Jan. 12, 2013. Three Japanese kids report in English.

The lantern bearers lead the way as the taiko drum bearers exit the shrine.